Horse-detaching device



` (No Model.)

` v0.14.. KI-RKSGBY au" P. P. BoWD-m. Y HORSE DETAGHINGDBVIGE.'

No. 498,395. Patented May 30, 1893.

mummierably to the part in front of the slot ot.

f' NITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

OIOERO L. KIRKSOEY AND FOUNTAIN P. BOWDEN, OF DOVER, ARKANSAS.

HOFSE-DETACHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,395, dated May 80, 1893.

Application tiled July 16, 1892. Serial No. 440,215. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, Cicnno L. KIRKsoEY and FOUNTAIN P. BowDEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Dover, inthe county of Pope and State of Arkansas, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Cou plings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention is a coupling, particularly adapted for uniting thills to a vehicle, but also adapted to be used in various other connections. i

In the drawings Figure l is a side view of a coupling embodying ourinvention together with the means for operating the same from a distance. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa side view of the device, the parts being shown in the position which they occupy when being uncoupled.

In the drawings, A designates the draft iron which may be in the form of a clip applied to the fore axle of a vehicle, or of other construction to suit the particular use towhich our invention is put. This draft ironis formed with a slot aopening upward so as to form ahook a at the forward end of the draft iron A; and hereinafter we shall term this part A the draft hook, although it is evident We employ this term in a broad sense. Vith the draft hook engages the link B,or other article to be coupled,-its cross or en bar b lying in the slot a.

C is a lever pivoted to the draft hook, pref- Its inner end is bifurcated, and its two arms c straddle the end a of the hook, and are provided in their ends with notches c which are of such depth that the linkB may lie therein at the same time itis in the slot a ofthe draft hook. If the lever be moved into the position shown in Fig. 4 so as to bring the notches c opposite to or slightlyl beyond the end of the slot o and the cross bar of the link be placed therein, and the lever be then turned to the position shown in Fig. l, the link will be carried thereby into the slot a, the end of which, however, will be closed on either side by the portions c2 of the arms of the lever. The 1ever O is preferably straight or has its forward end curved downward somewhat, as shown in the drawings, soy that t-he link lies directly above it; but it will be evident that the shape of this lever may be varied without changing its functions and operations.

D is a spring which bears'upon the lever O and is arranged across the open end of the slot a. It operates to hold the lever in working position, as vshown in Fig. 1, by bearing upon a iiattened portion d of the lever. In uncoupling, the portions c2 of the lever arms bear against and flex thespring until the lever has been so far turned as to bring the notches c directly opposite the spring, in which position the link has been moved out of the slot ct, but is still held in the notches by the spring. A further movement of the lever causes the spring to be further flexed as shown in Fig. 4 so as to uncover the notches from which the link B may be easily removed.

When our invention is used as a thill coupling it may be desirable to combine therewith means whereby the uncoupling operation can be quickly performed by a person in the ve hicle. Such means are shown in Fig. l and consist of a cord or chain E attached to the end of the lever C and running thence to an eye e where it turns and is carried to apoint within convenient reach of the driver. It will be understood that by pulling upon the cord the lever will be moved from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 4t, releasing the linkB and whatever may be attached thereto. The lever O might have but a'single arm c lying at the side of the hook a and notched at its end, although we prefer the form of lever shown and hereinbefore described. The slot a inclines forward somewhat,that is in the direction of the draft upon the hook B,-from a position a little above its lower portion, so that it is necessary to raise the hook butavery short distance by means of the lever O when itis desired to uncouple the hook, when the cross-bar b of the hook, coming into the forward inclined portion of the slot, will be drawn out therefrom by the draft upon the hook without further assistance from the lever C. It will be observed that lever C is in line with the draft hook and that there is no strain or draft IOO thereon until it is desired to release the hook, and that then the amount of force required to release the hook is but little, it being only enough to lift the link from behind the hook a into the forward inclined part of the slot a, as above set forth. The mere inversion of the position of the parts, that is, making the slot a to open downward, placing the spring below the draft hook and the lever above the link, would come within the scope of our invention as We understand it, and we wish to be understood as claiming such arrangement, as our invention is not limited to specific details of construction so long as the principles of its operation are retained.

1. The combination of the draft hook having a slot in which the draft link lies, the bifurcated lever C having its two arms lying` one on either side of the draft hook and covering the slot therein, and being notched at their ends to engage with the draft link, means which retain the link in operative position substantially as described.

2. The combination of the draft-hook provided with the slot a adapted to receive the draft link, the lever C pivoted to the drafthook and having a notched portion which overlies said slot and engages with the draft link, and the spring.;` D bearing upon the lever and arranged across the open end of the slot, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

` CICERO L. KIRKSCEY.

FOUNTAIN P. BOWDEN.

lVituesses:

C. J. SiMPsoN, M. L. KIRKSCEY. 

